[center][abbr=Hazel][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/260630/49f1165a.png[/img][/abbr]

[hr][color=silver]Bjyerlfal City: Camphor's Lab  ||  Day One: Morning[/color]

[hider=Team & Inventory][table][row][cell][center][i]Hazel doesn't have any Pokémon![/i][/center][/cell][cell][center][i]Hazel doesn't have any items![/i][/center][/cell][/row][/table][/hider][hr][/center]
Hazel noticed Stella walking up to her not because she had been paying direct attention to the blonde girl, but because Stella was impossible to miss. Sure, many of the people gathered stood out (the blue haired girl that was running around to each corner and back for one), but it seemed more that they did so without meaning to just because they were eccentric. And then there was Stella, who clearly moved and dressed in a way that said she wanted to draw attention. Of course Hazel didn't know that Stella was actually walking over to [i]talk to her[/i] until the blonde actually spoke, which made Hazel actually jump in surprise even though she'd been looking right at the other girl.

[color=A9BF8B]"Oh, I, um,"[/color] she stuttered, gripping her hands together one over the other as she thought on Stella's comment. [color=A9BF8B]"is... I-[sub]I mean... is [sub]that really true...?"[/sub][/sub][/color]

Apparently Hazel was worse at disappearing than she'd thought, especially if Stella was right. The alternative would have been trying to be noticed though, which sounded much worse. She shrunk into herself a little more, which seemed to make things awkward as Stella moved on to introducing herself. And though shy Hazel was, she wasn't rude - or at least she tried not to be.

[color=A9BF8B]"Yes, my name's Hazel, um, n-nice to meet you,"[/color] she replied. Her eyes flicked over to the Ponyta and Victor, surprised at the invitation. She waved again to the Budew (and technically Victor once more) before she looked back at Stella, giving her a weak, apologetic-looking smile. [color=A9BF8B]"I-I'm fine here, r-really! Your Pok- um, Fantasia, s-she's really pretty, but..."[/color]

The blonde seemed to pick up on one of the many things that was making Hazel anxious though, and ensured her that this wasn't some elaborate mean girl prank. 

[color=A9BF8B]"Ah..."[/color] That second part was a joke, right? Hazel wasn't so socially inept that she couldn't grasp that. But it being appropriate to laugh at was a whole other thing. It was at the expense of the other people in the room, so if she laughed would that make her appear rude to everyone else? But then if she didn't would she upset Stella? Oh [s]god[/s] [i]Arceus[/i] why in the world did conversation have to be so [i]complicated?![/i]

Another boy, one that hadn't been part of the airport group, passed by the odd pair. [i][color=92278f]"That I can agree on,"[/color][/i] he said, which unbeknownst to him was a very important comment to make in regards to breaking Hazel free from her social decision making paralysis. Her green eyes trailed the boy for a few more moments until they snapped back to Stella, and after a somewhat awkward lag she replied, [color=A9BF8B]"ah...hahahaha... y-you're not wrong..."[/color]

Because in her [s]eavesdropping[/s] listening in, Hazel had overheard quite a lot of social faux pas that even she wouldn't have made. Plus there were several different personality types meeting each other for the first time while squished together in one room, so there was bound to be some friction, awkward or otherwise. For example: a confident trend setting blonde woman talking to a brunette train wreck of nerves who let their conversation lapse into not-quite-comfortable silence.

Hazel turned her head, jerky and robotic, away from Stella's intense ice-blue eyes. One should not look directly at such a bright light for long, after all.

It wasn't that Hazel disliked Stella, but she still felt some sense of relief when Frieda returned with Professor Camphor in tow. The relief lasted longer than expected when the professor didn't seem as scary in person as she had on video. 

It faded away as the group was then led through the labs, but it was replaced by a sense of curiosity that was slightly stronger than Hazel's base level of anxiety, enough that she was even too distracted to hear about the mysterious "Nix" beating people up. As the group traveled, Hazel (once more sticking to the back) adjusted her glasses and peered with wide eyes at all of the things they passed, from simple closed doors with plaques beside them stating the room's purpose, to the indoor-island they could see through the glass walkways once they reached that area. And she listened with rapt attention was Camphor explained the habitat and its purpose. It was really interesting... [i]maybe[/i], Hazel thought, [i]I could work as a lab assistant like Miss Frieda sometime?[/i] That could make up for her declining the professor's job, she could make coffee and run errands and do some research like she was washing dishes at the back of a restaurant instead of paying the bill.

She was still daydreaming about being an unpaid intern when Frieda pressed something cold and smooth in her hands. Hazel blinked a few times as she came back to reality, looking down to find an unmistakable red and white sphere sitting in her palm. 

[color=A9BF8B]"Eek!"[/color] she flinched and accidentally dropped the ball, fumbling around to catch it before it hit the ground. When she did get hold of it again her face was flush with embarrassment. Everyone else (sans those already with a partner) were excited to catch their first Pokémon, and yet here she was...

Hazel straightened up, snapping her head towards Camphor and Frieda when she heard her name.

[color=A9BF8B]"Huh?"[/color] An impidimp? Like the one Frieda had? She didn't recall requesting an impidimp... something like a Ralts, Swablu, maybe even a Bagon, but an impidimp...? Actually she was pretty sure she'd left the entire Pokémon section of the application blank. [color=A9BF8B]"U-um, why are w-"[/color]

She paused and slapped one hand over her mouth. Right, the Professor had said to keep all question for the end! A moment later and Hazel took her hand back and nodded vigorously to Frieda. [color=A9BF8B]"O-okay!"[/color]